With the upcoming 1880s Victorian Fancy Dress Ball, I've gotten a lot of questions along the lines of "can I wear _____?" The answer is usually "Yes!" To shortcut some of this discussion, here are some general categories of costume that are perfectly fine for a fancy dress ball:
- Any historical costume from any era prior to the 1880s. It doesn't even have to be very good -- there are comments in manuals about how some people are very authentic in their costuming and some much less so (nothing has changed!) Call yourself "a lady of the previous century" or "a gentlemen of the Roman times" or something similar and you're all set. Ladies, try wearing a different era over a Victorian corset or even a bustle for the hilariously inappropriate silhouette sometimes found in 1880s "historical" costumes. (Examples of historical costumes, good and bad.)
- Any ethnic dress from any country, from a Scottish kilt to a Japanese kimono, is fine. Ethnic and national dress were very popular for fancy dress balls. (Examples of national/ethnic costume.)
- Any role from a novel, opera, poem, or play from the 1880s back is eligible; Gilbert and Sullivan costumes are particularly appropriate, and mythology was a popular source. (Examples of costumes from literature, mythology, and theater/opera.)
- For ladies who already have a gown in a particular color combination that matches a flower or butterfly, use fake ones as accessories (on the head or shoulder, as trim, and as a hat and/or fan as well) and go as that flower or butterfly. Find or make wings and antennae for the latter. Multicolored costumes might be a garden of flowers or flock of butterflies, or the queen of either. (Examples of flower and insect costumes.)
- Add a few accessories to a gown and go abstract to represent a month or season, weather, or astronomical bodies -- with a green dress, be summer, and with a white one, winter. Pastels? Represent spring. Grey? Dusk. Yellow? The sun. Blue? The sky. Rainbow? Rainbow! (Examples of costumes for months or seasons and astronomical themes.)
- An easy one for gentlemen is the Victorian idea of futuristic eveningwear: a white tailcoat and trousers with a black shirt. This ensemble can be rented at formalwear stores or bought used online. The Windsor uniform, which involves tacking a bit of fabric onto a tailcoat, is also a quick and easy costume for men who already have formalwear.
- Gentlemen disinclined to dress up can get into the spirit of things by at least wearing an unusual boutonniere. (Read the description of this ball for an example.)
- Fancy dress doesn't have to be fancy -- people dressed up as fanciful versions of Puritans, servants, peasants, beggars, charity girls, and more. This could be a character from a play or novel or something more generic. Authentic amounts of dirt and grime are unnecessary, however.
- Still have your graduation cap and gown, or a friend you can borrow them from? Academical dress is a legitimate costume for men or women.
- Victorianesque science fiction is a possibility -- while H.G Wells' novels are still to come, Jules Verne's major novels are all out by the 1880s. A "Duchess of the Next Century" appears on a list of costumes and could cover a modern evening gown, and there's a full description of a footwoman of the future which suggests openings for ladies' versions of many masculine outfits. Enjoy steampunk? An airship pilot, balloonist, or submariner would be a costume that allows for speculation. A Harry Potter-inspired costume could be a witch, wizard, or astrologer.
- Use your imagination! Victorians dressed up as everything from sports equipment and items of food to playing cards, wastebaskets, and the mysterious Bounding Ball of Babylon. Here's a list of actual costumes from an 1884 ball to start you off. Avoid overtly modern elements, remember you have to be able to actually dance in it, and let your imagination fly!
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